Command of the Sea

A Jewish captain leads Navy's "Truman" into action.

The one thing that is constant about life on an aircraft carrier is the
noise. The constant roar of jet aircraft engines on the deck is
complemented by other sounds heard throughout the ship and below deck:
the explosive booms coming from the catapults launching planes and the
reverberations of the restraining wires on the steel deck that enables
others to land.

Yet the sound that seems to garner the most attention on board the USS
Harry S. Truman is, ironically, among the softest they will hear: the
even tones of the voice of Capt. Herman "Herm" Shelanski.

""I've never heard him even raise his voice," confides one of
Shelanski's officers, who admits that this low-key style is hardly
typical of naval behavior when it comes to the person in charge. "But
he's always in command of the situation. He's the sort of a person who
makes you want to meet or exceed his expectations."

As another officer put it, referring to the captain's average height
(approximately 5 feet 7 inches), "His physical stature isn't so big.
But his presence is huge. Everyone on board feels it."

Shelanski, a native of Wynnewood, is a veteran of 27 years of naval
service, during which he has risen from a young aviator piloting E-2
Hawkeyes to now being the commanding officer of one of the Navy's elite
weapon systems: a Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier, whose air wing
of more than 80 tactical and support aircraft (including squadrons of
the latest F-18 Hornets and Super-Hornet jets) can project America's
strength around the world.

Shelanski, who is married and the father of two teenagers, took command
of the Truman in the spring of this year. In the Atlantic in September,
some 200 miles from its home port of Norfolk, Va., the Truman will put
to sea and sail to the Persian Gulf, where its aircraft and pilots will
be flying missions providing support for U.S. troops fighting in Iraq.

Shelanski's role is to be, as he put it, "mayor of the city" -- of a
floating airport that's home to more than 5,000 sailors and aviators.
As long as the Empire State Building is tall, the Truman is an enormous
vessel whose maze-like compartments below decks can take sailors weeks
to find their way around.

"While its namesake's trademark "Give 'Em Hell" slogan is emblazoned
around the ship as a symbol of its crew's fighting spirit, another of
the 33rd president's favorite sayings is embodied in the conduct of the
man who commands it: "The Buck Stops Here."

"There's a lot of different leadership styles and a lot of pressure to
be who you are not," says Shelanski. "But I'm a believer in being who
you are and treating people with respect."

A Grandson of Immigrants

Though decades of flying and sea duty have given him the experience of
command, he makes no secret of the fact that a big part of who he is
can be traced back to his origins: as the grandson of Lithuanian Jewish
immigrants to the United States who settled in Philadelphia in the
early 20th century.

"I always wanted to serve my country and a lot of that has do
to with being Jewish."

When asked what would prompt the son of a prominent doctor, who was a
Bar Mitzvah at Har Zion Temple and a graduate of Lower Merion High
School in the 1970s to join the Navy, his answer is simple: "I always
wanted to serve my country," says Shelanski. "And a lot of that has do
to with being Jewish."

Military service was hardly the norm for middle-class Jewish young
people in the 1970s, but Shelanski says that the message of pride and
patriotism in America was a big part of his upbringing.

On his desk in his spacious and luxurious in-board cabin (used mostly
for dinners and ceremonies) are pictures of his father, Morris
Shelanski, who served as a doctor in the Navy during World War II, and
a cousin who was a naval aviator. Their example of service was and
remains important to the captain.

"I knew that I was fortunate. A lot of our family died in the
Holocaust. It makes me think of what could have happened if we hadn't
come to America," he says. "I wanted to give back to this country. I
also understood that the strength of the United States is directly
proportional to the safety of Israel."

Yet a career in the Navy was not really in his plans when he left the
area to attend the University of Colorado, where he graduated in 1979.
A self-described "outdoor kid" with an itch to fly, the following year
found him at a naval-aviation officers candidate school from which he
emerged with the newly minted rank of ensign. Two years later, he
earned his wings and was flying E-2C Hawkeyes.

'But it was only going to be a temporary job," recalls Shelanski. "I
was going to do it for a while, and then go and be a doctor," following
in his father's footsteps.

What changed his plans?

"I was having too much fun to stop," the captain acknowledges. "I
really enjoyed what I did. The intensity, the excitement and the thrill
of it was what kept me in."

And the fact that he was very good at his job.

It's clear from his record that, from the start of his career,
Shelanski was selected by his superiors for special responsibilities.

Flying the Hawkeye -- the Navy's tactical airborne
warning-and-control-system platform -- made him "the quarterback" of air
missions.

During his first sea deployment, he says that he found himself on the
spot during a confrontation with Soviet aircraft that were attempting
to track his carrier during a Cold War exercise in the Pacific.

As a lieutenant junior grade, he decided to change his air wing's plans
to meet the potential threat while in the air. Shelanski radioed the
change of plans down to the commanding admiral on his ship and waited
for the answer to chutzpah with baited breath.

After a pause, he says, the response came back. "Roger that" -- terse
approval that was all he needed.

"It was a big thrill," he says.

From there, it was a steady progression of promotions as he rose to be
a commander of a Hawkeye squadron, stints as executive officer of an
aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, commander of a fighting
command ship, the USS La Salle, as well as various naval staff
positions in the United States and at NATO.

Along the way, he picked up a Master of Science in electrical
engineering and space engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in
Monterey, Calif., and studied at the Armed Forces Staff College, as
well as receiving nuclear-power training. His duties have taken him to
various parts of the globe, including postings in Italy and Bahrain, a
place that was no less foreign to him than some parts of the United
States and which differed greatly from his Northeast upbringing.

Physically fit at the age of 50, though he doesn't fly very much
anymore, he still works out daily in the ship's gym and planned to
compete with crew members in physical-fitness tests.

Keeping the Faith

Yet one theme that has been constant throughout a career has been his
willingness to be candid about his Jewish identity in a service where
he often found himself one of the few, if not only, Jews around.

He has discovered little prejudice, though a lot of ignorance, about Judaism and Jews.

Though he knows that anti-Semitism was commonplace in the military in
his father's day, Shelanski says that he has discovered little
prejudice, though a lot of ignorance, about Judaism and Jews.

"It's a little bit more responsibility," he says of being the first Jew
a sailor may meet.

"I always understood and loved Judaism. To me, being Jewish means
asking how do you treat the stranger because we were strangers,"
explains Shelanski.

His philosophy has always been to "be open and honest, to care for
people and to take care of people. The secret of success as a leader is
to understand people. I got that from my parents, especially my dad."

Despite the difficulties of being cut off from all the usual Jewish
connections, he found ways of holding on to who he was while staying
close to his comrades.

In one instance, he recalls, while serving with a squadron in a remote
location where all were away from their families on the holidays, he
served as a kipah-wearing Santa Claus to cheer up his friends at a
Christmas party. Under all circumstances, he says, "I wanted to say who
I was."

While keeping Judaism was tough as a junior officer, it's much easier
for a naval captain.

On board the Truman, Shelanski not only has his own private stores of
food, but has hosted kosher seders in his quarters for the crew. He
also regularly attends Friday-night Shabbat services in the ship's
chapel along with the approximately 12 to 15 other Jewish crew members,
a group that includes a cross-section of the crew: officers, aviators
and enlisted personnel who say the Sabbath service provides an oasis of
rest amid the stress of their 24/7 workdays at sea.

The centerpiece of Jewish life on the Truman is a Torah kept in an ark
donated by the chapel of the Naval Academy. The scroll, which was
dedicated in a formal ceremony this past June, originated in Lithuania,
where it was saved from the Holocaust. At the ceremony was another
Torah, the one that Israel's first president Chaim Weizmann gave as a
gift to President Truman and which was on temporary loan from the Harry
S. Truman Library in Independence, Mo.

The Torah dedication was "very emotional," as well as something that brought both the Norfolk Jewish community and the Navy closer together.

As was the case on the Reagan, where he also helped bring a Torah to
the chapel, most sailors didn't know what it was.

"I wasn't sure what the sailors would think," admits Shelanski. "But
the response was tremendous. There wasn't a dry eye in the place as
non-Jews felt the importance of it. I've found that people liked to
learn about Judaism. And Christians see it as a way to go back to their
roots."

Faith can be important in a profession in which lethal danger
is commonplace.

Indeed, faith can be important in a profession in which lethal danger
is commonplace.

That was brought home to the crew of the Truman even before their
deployment in Iraq, when one of their Hawkeye radar planes crashed into
the ocean after a takeoff at night during an August training session
for a young pilot.

Shelanski, who was asleep in his other, much smaller cabin just off the
bridge, where he spends most of his time, reports that he was at the
helm directing the search-and-rescue efforts within seconds.

The search lasted 36 hours, but it was rapidly apparent, he says, that
the plane and the three people on board would not survive. What they
found, he adds, was "heartbreaking" -- wreckage and helmets, but no
bodies.

It was the first crash of a Navy Hawkeye in 14 years. And it proves to
Shelanski that the worst thing that can happen on board is
"complacency," something he continues to fight.

"Carrier duty is very unforgiving of mistakes. We have to learn from
our mistakes," concludes the captain.

In the Gulf, the Truman's planes are scheduled to fly as support for
soldiers and marines. Some of the crew are also slated to be on the
ground, serving as liaisons between the troops there and the ship to
coordinate missions.

Everyone and everything must be constantly checked and re-qualified, he
explains. While in the Persian Gulf, he says, "we know the pilots are
going to be flying into harm's way. There's always a risk. The better
we train, the better our chance of success."

Though the conflict is one that has lost support from many Americans,
the Truman is prepared to do its part in the fighting.

"Some people in the navy were upset about the decision to go in,"
Shelanski confides. "But that doesn't mean we're not enthusiastic to
win. We go where our nations' leadership tells us to go. Our task is
clear and there's not a person on the ship who doesn't want us to
succeed."

History Lessons

As a student of history, Shelanski says that he is cognizant of the
threat from Iran and its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has
declared his intention to destroy Israel and is attempting to gain
nuclear capability.

"Most sailors and officers here are aware of the history. We know what
happened when another nation [Nazi Germany] that made threats of
annihilation was ignored. The sailors are happy that we're standing up
to these people, and hopefully, our presence will deter them."

As with Iraq, he defers to civilian leaders to make the decisions about
what to do. Still, Shelanski says that he hopes diplomacy and a
coalition of Western powers will cause Iran to step back from the brink.

But, he warns, the Iranians "should understand that we have more than
enough to stop them."

The crew of the Truman hopes to return home to Norfolk after several
months at sea sometime next summer. As to his own future after his term as captain of the Truman ends (he is scheduled to leave it in early 2009), Shelanski is uncertain. Some in the Navy consider him a serious candidate for promotion to the rank
of admiral.

Though flattered by the idea, he says that is a decision that will have
to be made by his family. He's not certain that he wants to uproot them
again, which would be a certainty if he is promoted.

Visitor Comments: 20

My son is on that boat. The article about the Captain in charge gave me comfort.

(19)
D. Grant Chee,
June 21, 2010 11:20 AM

Full speed ahead

The Persian Gulf region may soon heat up?

(18)
Bill Moore,
November 23, 2007 1:53 PM

Bravo Zulu

As a long retired Command Master Chief I am well aware of the responsibilities that a commanding officer must have. To see that a man of this officer's stature has the respect of his crew lets this old salt know that our Navy is in good hands. He will make a good Admiral. May he never lose his faith, especially under the current congressional leadership.

(17)
GSE1 (SW) David Woodruff,
November 9, 2007 4:08 PM

Thank you for this article

I am a First Class Petty Officer in the US Navy currently stationed as staff in Great Lakes Illinois and a Noahide. I happen to live in a large Jewish area near Chicago. I have had the pleasure and honor of learning a lot from another Jewish officer who has since transfered. He is one of very few Jewish Chaplains in the Navy - LT (Rabbi) Neal Kreisler. This article was refreshing and inspiring.

(16)
Mrs Kaufman,
November 4, 2007 6:06 PM

Thank You

Thank you captain, for your service to our country. My son is leaving for boot camp in Great Lakes soon, and may one day be under your command. I hope he is. I'd love to tell you his name and ask that yo keep an eye on him, but reading this article, I know that you will, if he's on your ship, and I trust in the Navy, and respect his desire to serve......enough .....not to have him one day say.....oy, my mom wrote to the Captain. Rock on sir......may you sail into fair winds:).

(15)
Anonymous,
November 4, 2007 10:29 AM

My prayers for Capt.Shelanski&his men

I pray for the safety of Capt. Shelanski,his men & USS Trueman.May they return home safely.

(14)
Anonymous,
November 2, 2007 8:22 AM

Thanks, Blessing and Protection

Thank you for your service to our Creator, your family, the United States and your crew.May you continue to be blessed with the favor of God, may your life continue to shine His light unto the nations and may His wisdom, revelation and knowledge continually be imparted to you, and may He encamp His angels around you, your crew and your families.

(13)
Anonymous,
November 1, 2007 8:44 AM

Kol Hakavod to Navy Captain Shelanski and his family

Reading this article filled me with great Jewish pride, and warmed my heart. How wonderful to see that a US Naval officer is so proud of his Jewish heritage and keeps it alive on his ship. His parents did a very fine job raising him. Kol HaKavod!

(12)
Joe Nodvin,
November 1, 2007 6:49 AM

Thank you for your service to our Country

As a Jewish American, I thank you for your service to our Country, and your unfaltering commitment to G-d and Israel.

(11)
Barend Vorster,
October 31, 2007 11:56 PM

hartwarming article to read

The more i read on aish.com the more respect i am getting for the jewish people.It seems they can perform in every field.It is hard for me to understand why some people do not like them.It must have something to do with what happened during the Byble times 4000 years ago.

(10)
Mel L. Globerman,
October 29, 2007 2:24 PM

Congratulations

Congratulations are in order for Captain Shelanski for an outstanding naval career! I am sure he certainly is an inspiration to many. Just reading about his numerous accomplishments should serve as an example to all young people. While it appears uncertain as to what his next assignment will entail, I think it is clear that he will execute it's responsibilities flawlessly.

(9)
Andy,
October 29, 2007 2:03 PM

I salute Captain Shalansky/may we all do our part

"I also understood that the strength of the United States is directly proportional to the safety of Israel." Interesting point of view.I'd think that most Americans and most of the world believe that Israel's strength is directly proportional to the strength of the USA. As an Aish reader one can't help but allow for at least the possibility that the strength of both may be directly proportional to the Jews keeping mitzvoth, and the gentiles keeping Noachide laws.

(8)
Anonymous,
October 28, 2007 7:26 PM

How comforting, my neice is on that ship.

Great article about a wonderful person. It is so comforting to know the person in charge since my neice is on that ship. What a credit to our people, our family and our nation.

(7)
Beverly Kurtin,
October 28, 2007 3:37 PM

I salute you, sir

As one of two Jewish women going through basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX, I got my share of Jew hate. So did Sharon. That was (OY!) 49 years ago. To make matters worse, our TI (instructor) was a rabid Jew hater. We got all of the dirty details, of course.

Then, the night before graduation from boot camp, the TI came in to announce the various awards that had been earned by our flight. Sharon and I took all of the top honors both in academic and field duties.

Sadly, Jew hate has become an institution at the U.S. Air Force academy as the far right Christians have inculcated the officers to be. I'm happy to see that the institution is dying in the Navy.

And, once more, sir, I salute you and wish you and your entire crew shalom and pray for the safety of your craft. Harry Truman was one of my favorite presidents, I love that a Jew is in command of the ship that honors his memory.

(6)
BRAVO INDIA,
October 28, 2007 2:57 PM

BRAVO ZULU

MORE JEWISH NAVAL OFFICERS SUCH AS THE CAPTAIN ARE REQUIRED. HIS STANCE ON ANTISEMETISM IS COMMENDABLE. I ALSO SERVED IN THE US NAVY AS JEW AND THE COMMAND'S JEWISH LAY READER.

(5)
Anonymous,
October 28, 2007 11:33 AM

anti semitism inthe us military

glad to hear the hatered of us is on the decline when i served in the us army in 1972 there were only 2 jews in my company nof 120 and the other one was afraid to tell.

(4)
Ruth Fischel Smith,
October 28, 2007 10:45 AM

This article touched me; a moving look at a brave, dedicated man with a commitment to both his country and his religon. A true Mensch.

(3)
Anonymous,
October 28, 2007 9:32 AM

I served as a LTJG in the Korean/Cold War era

I served in the Navy following in the footsteps of my father, Jacob Glaser, Seaman 2c, who enlisted in WW1. This was a great story. The fact that I was permitted to finish college at Brown University motivated me to immediately enlist in the USN. I served on 2 ships in the Pacific Fleet where I was the only Jew aboard each one followed by 2 more years aboard the USS NORTHAMPTON, a 6th Fleet flagship in the Med when the UAR took the Suez Canal. Here we had 6 Jewish officers plus enough elisted men for a minyan! If I'm not mistaken, I think Har Zion's rabbi once headed the Jewish Chaplains Corps in the Navy (I've forgotten his name). Loved your story. It's good see that more than Adm. Rickover gets a renown command post. Hope Capt. Shelanski makes flag rank. "Give 'em hell, Hermie !"

(2)
elliott zerring,
October 28, 2007 9:10 AM

I am proud of Captain Shelansky,And all who serve,To protect the usa.I often think of my Father who fought in W.W.2 aboard a destroyer Escort G-D Bless America...

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...